Earlier activities at the 2007 General Synod were described
in a prior essay
2007-OCT-12/13: Diocese of Ottawa backs same-sex blessings:
The theme of the 2007 Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa was "Behold,
I Make All Things New Embracing the Future," from Revelation 21:5. They met
in Cornwall, ON and debated the diocese's policy towards same-sex relationships.
1 Some delegates:
"... brought up the fact that the Church welcomes gay people
individually, gives communion, baptizes their babies, and even offers a
pension fund that recognizes same sex couples. Yet it can't 'bless' them
even though it blesses boats, houses, even animals. 2
By a wide margin (177 to 97) the delegates passed a motion that would allow a
priest, with the prior approval of his parish, to approach the bishop for
permission to perform a blessing of a previously solemnized same-sex civil
marriage where at least one spouse is baptized. This would give the married
couple's parish, their priest, and their bishop separate veto power over the
blessing, so that all three would have to be in agreement. However, the actual
performance of same-sex marriages would still be banned.
Ottawa is the first synod in Canada to take this action since the
denomination decided in the summer of 2007 against giving a local option for
such blessings.
Bishop John Chapman has veto power over the synod and has not yet announced
his decision. He will talk to other bishops in Canada and abroad before
deciding. He said: "It's not helpful to walk alone. We're not afraid to walk
alone, but we don't want to walk alone."
BBC News commented:
"The vote, by a wide majority, sets back efforts to stem the
disintegration of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Even before the American
Anglican church controversially ordained an openly gay bishop in 2003, a
Canadian diocese, Vancouver, had sparked a crisis in the Communion by
allowing church blessings for homosexual couples. Since then the Communion
has begun painfully to split apart, as traditionalists, who believe active
homosexuality to be sinful, have tried to expel liberal churches. ... The
decision is not binding, but it is further evidence that the liberal North
American churches will not fundamentally change their approach to
homosexuality, even if that were necessary to keep the Communion intact."
3
The Anglican Network in Canada, a group of conservative Anglicans,
said they were deeply saddened by the vote of the Ottawa synod. They issued a
statement:
"Unfortunately, the synod has chosen to reject the pleas of the global
Anglican Communion and 'walk apart' from the vast majority of Anglicans
worldwide." 4
2007-OCT-18: Primate says due process was followed:
Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, commented on
the resolution passed by the Ottawa synod that would allow priests to bless
civil marriages between same-sex couples if approved by the bishop. He said:
"I believe due process was followed with respect to the handling of this
resolution. The outcome of the resolution is a reflection of the mind of the
church local in this matter."
However, Bishop Chapman said that despite a "strong majority" and "a
clear directive," the approved motion was but "a recommendation and is
not binding on the diocese or the bishop."
The synod of the diocese of Montréal voted in favor of a motion to bless
existing same-sex marriages. It was worded very similarly to the Ottawa
resolution. The clergy delegates to the synod voted 44 to 25 in favor; lay
delegates voted 59 to 32. Some of the delegates who opposed the resolution
required the synod to make separate tallies for clergy and laity. This forced
Bishop Clarke to indicate where he stood. He voted in favor of the motion.
Clarke praised what he called a "wonderful, intelligent debate" on both
sides of the debate. Canon Paul Jennings, director of pastoral studies at the
Diocesan Theological College in Montreal sponsored the resolution. The
Anglican Journal reported that Canon Jennings:
"... asked delegates to ask themselves what they would
want for their children if they were homosexual, and 'what do we believe in
all honesty that God wants for them?' He said the church's attitude could
make a difference for gays and lesbians between loneliness, denial, perhaps
bad marriage or promiscuity and alienation from the church, on the one hand,
and faith, holiness and strong partnerships on the other. However, he said
the resolution is only a request to the bishop and does not cover
[solemnizing] same-sex marriages a subject outside the power of a single
diocese under church law."
"Canon Jennings said he and the other sponsor of the
resolution, Dr. Douglass Dalton, a medical doctor who worships at St.
John the Evangelist Church in Montréal, urged delegates to vote in
accordance with their own consciences rather than being preoccupied with the
possible political consequences of the vote at various levels of the
Anglican Church."
Rev. Gregory McVeigh of St. Stephen’s Church in Westmount opposed the
motion. He said that one biblical theme that starts in Genesis and continues
throughout most of the Bible is that a couple consists of male and female. He
said: "However you interpret this scripture, you have to take it seriously."
He considers the six or so texts often cited as anti-gay
as being of less importance.
Rev. Dean Brady, a doctoral student at McGill University in Montréal said
that to support same-sex couples would be to reject the "lens" of scripture as a
way of interpreting the world in favor of a "lens" of modern social science.
Rev. Anthony Harvey of St. Michael and All Angels Church in the
Montréal suburb of Pierrefonds asked whether the resolution "... is really God¹s
will or is it bringing God down to our level of understanding and acceptance?"
7
2007-OCT-25/30: House of Bishops to meet:
The House of Bishops will discuss the implications of the Montreal and
Ottawa synod votes. They will also discuss an ambiguity left by the General
Synod. The latter had determined that same-sex blessings are "not in conflict"
with core church doctrine. But the bishops vetoed by a slim margin a decision by
the priests and laity to allow individual dioceses to bless same-sex
relationships if they wish.
Robin MacKay, chancellor (legal advisor) of the diocese of Ottawa, said that
the latter resolution neither affirmed or denied the local jurisdiction on the
matter. He said that the motion, "doesn’t deny the jurisdiction of bishops to
(allow) same-sex blessings; it’s just that General Synod failed to act in that
area." Some canon law experts have expressed the opinion that there is
nothing on the canons or constitution of the Anglican Church of Canada that
would prevent a diocese from acting on its own. 5
2007-NOV-17: Niagara diocese approves blessing of same-sex couples:
Three years previously, on 2004-NOV-18, the priests and laity in the synod voted to
allow same-sex blessings. The vote was more than 2 to 1 in favor (213 votes to 106). The
motion would have given priests: "permission to exercise their discretion in
blessing the relationship of gay or lesbian couples who have been married
civilly" after their congregations applied for permission from the
bishop. Bishop
Ralph Spence later vetoed that motion. 6
The issue was revisited by the diocese of Niagara in their
2007-NOV meeting at the convention centre in Hamilton, ON. This time, the vote
was over 4½ to 1 in favor (239 in favor, 53
opposed; two abstained). Bishop Spence consulted with Lambeth Palace (the
residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury), the Canadian primate (Archbishop
Fred Hiltz) and his successor, Bishop Michael Bird, who takes office on
2008-MAR-01. Bishop Spence gave his assent to the resolution.
A blessing would only be done if:
The couple is married;
At least one of the couple has been baptized; and
Only if the priest agrees.
Bishop Spence said:
"The question has been asked, 'Where do we go from here?' Much
consultation will take place … When and how this will be implemented will be
dealt with in the days that lie ahead. We are aware of the vote’s
ramifications.
During an interview, he said:
"I am very proud that Niagara is taking a leadership role in asking the
Canadian church to move forward on this issue, mindful that we are doing it
in a respectful way."
Niagara has thus followed a decision by the diocese of New Westminster (in
Vancouver BC), in blessing same sex couples. The resolutions passed by dioceses
in Ottawa and Montreal are in limbo, pending a decision by their bishops to
either accept or veto them.
Reactions were varied from members of the Niagara Synod. As in other times
and places, those in support of the resolution stressed the general biblical
principles of love and justice; those opposed stressed the
six clobber passages in the Bible that have been
interpreted as against homosexuality.
Karin Davidson-Taylor said: "All are welcome at the table of the Lord."
Canon Charles Masters said: " Our diocese has taken a momentous step
away from the (worldwide) Anglican Communion and the request of the primates
(national archbishops). I grieve this as a member of this diocese and
someone who is standing with other biblically-faithful members of the
diocese."
Anne Cornish said: "We are talking about the people who
sit beside us on Sunday morning. Don’t force me to go back our gay and
lesbian brothers and sisters and say, ‘No, not this time'."
Larry Dunlop said: "Jesus blessed sinners; he never
blessed the sin."
Rev. Tim Morgan said: "Let’s look beyond what happens in
the bedroom. It’s about love."
Rick Minion said: "Christ called us to go into the
world, but not become part of the world … the blessing of same-sex unions is
not of God." 7
The Anglican Network in Canada, a conservative issued
a statement saying it was "hurt and distressed" by Niagara’s move. Mr. Masters,
spokesperson for the Network said the decision shows the need for the network's
"Building on the Solid Rock" conference scheduled for Nov. 22-23. Their web site
states that it is a "pivotal conference", and "a historical national meeting."
will provide "a substantive option for biblically-faithful Canadian Anglicans."
Marilyn Jacobson, the Network's communications spokesperson issued a news
release on NOV-17 stating, in part:
"The Anglican Network in Canada stands with the millions
of Anglicans – in Canada and throughout the worldwide Anglican Communion –
who are hurt and distressed by the decision of the Niagara Synod and Bishop
to proceed at a time of the bishop’s choosing with the blessing of same-sex
marriages. The Ottawa and Montreal Synods approved similar motions in
October but their bishops have withheld consent to proceed."
" 'We are grieved that the synod and bishops of Niagara have chosen to walk
away from centuries of Christian teaching and defy the consensus within the
Anglican Communion,' says the Right Reverend Donald Harvey, Moderator of the
Anglican Network in Canada. 'There is clearly a growing momentum within the
Anglican Church of Canada to ignore biblical teaching, disregard the views
of the global Church, and even ignore the principles upon which the Canadian
Church was founded. These actions have 'torn the fabric' of the Communion at
its deepest level just as the Primates warned in October 2003'."
"By proceeding with these decisions to bless civilly married same-sex
couples, the Diocese of Niagara is separating itself from the vast majority
of Anglicans worldwide and deepening the divide within the Anglican Church
of Canada and the global Communion. ..." 8
References used:
The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above
essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.
Jennifer Green, "Same-sex unions get blessing from Ottawa diocese. Weekend
Vote; Final decision on issue still rests with bishop," CanWest News Service,
2007-OCT-15, at:
http://www.canada.com/
Harvey Shepherd, "Montreal diocese becomes second to urge same-sex
blessings," Anglican Journal, 2007-OCT-20, at:
http://www.anglicanjournal.com/
Marilyn Jacobson, "Diocese of Niagara 'walks apart' from
Anglican Communion," Anglican Network in Canada, 2007-NOV-17, at:
http://www.anglicannetwork.ca/
